I Owe You
by Hpru01
Summary: AU. Also a little OOC. My first FanFic. Ash broke Misty's iPod and now she wants him to pay her back for it. So she follows him until he pays her back. At least that's how it goes.
1. chapter 1

It was a warm sunny day in the city of Viridian. The sky had only a few clouds and the breeze was cool but not cold. It almost seemed like any ordinary day for young boy Ash. But today however, was his ninth birthday. He was excited because he got to celebrate his birthday with his dad this year.

Ash lived with his mom and was an only child. His parents had divorced when he was only five years old. He saw when his parents split up, but he was so young that he barely reacted. Some people would say that Ash handled the situation in a very maturely manner considering the age he was. But others think that he's still emotionally affected to this day.

His dad lived in a different city and Ash hardly ever saw him. His parents tried to explain to him what had happen but they never agreed on one single explanation.

Ash was looking forward to the arrival of his father. This would be the first time he sees his dad since he was seven years old. And because of that, he was feeling really nervous.

The moment finally came when Ash's dad pulled up in front of the house where Ash and his mom lived. "Look Mom, Dad's here!" Ash called out to his mom from his spot at the window

Ash's mother was in the kitchen baking a small birthday cake for her son when she heard the doorbell ring and foot steps racing to answer the door "Hello buddy, happy birthday." Ash's dad congratulated his son.

"Hey Dad, boy am I glad you made it." Ash said as he extended his arm to shake hands with his father.

Ash's father's expression went from being thrilled to disbelieve at Ash's action "What happened to my hugs?" He asked, sounding a little hurt.

Ash contemplated his response for a while but he hugged his dad nevertheless.

At the same time, Ash's mom came into the entryway of the house "Hello Jay." Ash's mom greeted her ex husband

"Hi Delia. It's been a while hasn't it?" Jay replied as he walked into the house

"Yeah. It has." Delia replied. Usually, Delia has a very cheery personality and she was always one to pick up someone else's mood, but for some reason. She just doesn't feel very lively at the moment.

Ash celebrated his birthday with just his parents because that's how his father wanted it to be. Just the three of them. The afternoon was spent eating cake and desserts, playing party games, and even telling stories about the past.

Ash's parents thought it would be more awkward than what it actually was. But much to their surprise, they actually enjoyed each other's company.

The same thing couldn't be said for Ash though. Sure, he enjoyed the presence of his father and enjoyed having his parents together once again. But for some reason he had this feeling he didn't know how to describe. To him, it just didn't feel right. His parents may have been at ease but he could tell that there was uncomfortable vibe the whole time.

Towards the end of the day. Ash's parents gave him his birthday presents. His dad went first and gave him new clothes and a new soccer ball. His mom gave him a new video game he took interest in and a back pack.

Ash liked all the presents his parents gave him but he was a little disappointed to say the least. He had told his mom what he wanted for the past few weeks but there was no sign of the present he seeked.

His mom, knowing what Ash wanted, was keeping a secret surprise. "Hey buddy, we have one more present for you and it's from your mom and I." Jay explained.

Ash's eyes widened at the revelation. "What is it Dad!?" He asked with hope glimmering in his eyes.

"It's a surprise, sweetheart." Delia told her son. "We have to go and pick it up." She said

"Really? Where?" Ash asked out of curiosity

"If we tell you, then it wouldn't be a surprise. Would it?" Jay said as he got up from his seat on the couch.

"Come on. Let's go pick up your present." Delia said as she got up as well

"Y-you mean we're all going?" Ash asked. He was shocked that both his parents were in the secret together. He sort of expected only one of his parents to take him to pick up this so called 'surprise' present.

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" Jay asked his son who was looking a little hesitant.

"No. There's nothing wrong." Ash said as he put on a reassuring smile for his father

"Well, in any case. We should get going before it gets too late." Delia said as she grabbed her purse from the coat rack

Ash only nodded in response. They had taken Jay's car to their destination. The ride was not long but it was filled with chat and laughter between the two adults.

Ash wasn't used to that. He never saw his parents together, let alone talking like everything was fine in the world. Ash thought maybe he could pretend that it was normal and that his parents did get along just fine everyday.

Ash thought that anyone else who saw them might think that they're a happy couple and have a happy family and are enjoying life. But for some reason, Ash had this uneasy feeling of something not being right with all this. He feels that his parents are being forced to act this way just for him and he didn't like that. He wanted for his parents to get back together but he wanted them to be happy and not just forced to love each other when he knew they didn't.

As a matter of fact. He recalls a moment where his father did something that made his mother upset. It was back when he was four years old. His parents had recently gotten married but Jay was seeing someone else behind Delia's back. Ash at first didn't get it but he understood what was going on the moment they announce their divorcement.

Ash knew more of the story of what had happened but he didn't want to believe it. His father didn't seem like that kind of person but it was something that he undoubtedly felt guilty about. He knew that what had happened was beyond his control, his mother had explained that to him. But he still couldn't help but feel that it was his fault.

Even before his parents got married. He would always witness his parents fighting. There never was any physical violence but it was enough to attract attention from neighbors.

"Ash, We're here." Delia said. The mention of his name snapped him out of his trance. He looked up at the building they pulled up in front of.

They pulled up at a pet shop and automatically, Ash knew what exactly they were doing there "Oh wow! You guys are getting me a dog?!" He asked in disbelieve

"Yes. We bought a dog ahead of time and we decided to bring you to pick it up." Jay said as they walked into the shop.

The lady at the cashier talked with Ash's parents about the dog they purchased while he was looking at the different pets around the shop.

"Ash, sweetie. Look what we got you." Delia said as she lowered the small puppy she was carrying in her arms.

Ash picked up the dog his mother had set down and looked at it with an astonished expression "Wow! Its the cutest dog I've ever seen."

The cashier walked up to Ash "It's a golden retriever. It's a male." She informed Ash.

"A golden retriever." He repeated. He turned to his parents and gave them a grateful smile "Thanks Mom, thanks Dad. It's the best present ever."

His mom smiled back at him while his dad ruffled his hair. "No problem kiddo. Just promise you'll take good care of it. Okay?"

Ash's only response was a quick nod.

Ash and his parents went back home and they hung out for another while longer this time with their new dog. "Hey kiddo. What are you going to name your dog?" Jay asked as he picked the dog up from the couch

"Well, I don't know, I haven't given it much thought." Ash replied

"How about a name that best describes his personality?" Delia suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Jay agreed.

Ash sat there on the couch and thought of a name for his new dog. "Kilo" he said suddenly.

"Kilo?" Ash's parents asked in unison.

"Yeah, I thought about the perfect name way before I actually asked for a dog." Ash explained.

"I like that name for him." Delia said with a smile.

"It's your choice." Jay said with a neutral tone.

Jay looked at the time on the clock that was hanging on the wall above the window and at the same time Kilo yawned indicating that it was getting late. "Looks like Kilo is getting tired. You should be going to bed too Ash. It's almost midnight." He said.

"But I'm not tired!" Ash complained.

"It doesn't matter young man. It's your bedtime." Delia said in her motherly demanding voice.

"Alright, Alright," Ash said as he put up his hands as a sign of surrender. He turned to his father and looked at him in the eyes "Will you be leaving soon?" He asked.

Jay sighed and pulled Ash in for a hug. "Yeah. I'll be leaving soon. I just need to talk to your mother in private and I'll be on my way." He said as he made eye contact with Delia.

Delia was taken aback by Jay's intentions of talking to her in private but she decided to best wait until Ash was upstairs in his room "Okay, well, G'night Dad. Thanks for coming for my birthday and thanks for the presents." Ash said as he walked up the stairs.

Ash picked up his new friend Kilo and headed for his room. He was feeling tired from the days events, so he laid Kilo on the small pillow beside his bed and went to sleep rather quickly.

It wasn't more than half an hour since he fell asleep when he was awaken by the urge to use the bathroom. He got up and headed for the bathroom and heard his parents talking. He didn't think much of it so he went to take care of his business.

It was on his trip back, that's when he actually heard what his parents were saying "I can't believe you did that to her" Delia said.

"Don't even try to change the topic. Stop trying to play the innocent one." Jay replied in a harsh manner.

"Jayson! Are you even listening to a single word you're saying!" Delia said exasperatedly.

"Why is it every time I try to talk to you civilly, you always have to bring this up." Jay said as he was trying to calm down.

Ash was listening to the conversation but he had no idea what they were talking about. He was thinking of going to see what they were talking about but the sound of his mother crying stopped him. "You hypocrite!" Delia said in a loud voice.

Jay was silent for a minute and was watching Delia cry. "I'm not-" Jay started but was cut off by Delia

Ash tried to get a better view of the living room but no one was there. He leaned over the rail slightly to catch a glimpse of the kitchen and sure enough his mom was sitting at the table while his dad stood opposite of his mother

"I can't believe I ever fell in love with you." Delia said in between sobs. "Leave my house Jayson. We are through talking here." She said

Jay just stood there not budging but after a while he just sat down on the seat he was leaning on "I'm not done yet." he informed her.

"Well I don't care! I want you to leave!" Delia said.

"Will you just listen to me?!" Jay raised his voice a little.

"No! Why do you do this?! What do you get from hurting other people!" Delia said.

"I'm not hurting anyone!" Jay said as he suddenly stood up.

"Then what do you call what you did to me?" Delia said with tears coming from her eyes and her voice cracking

Jay just stared at her for a while when he finally just stood up strait and headed towards the front door. Retorting under his breath.

Ash didn't expect his father to walk towards the front door so he raced back towards the top of the stairs to avoid being spotted and from there he saw his father leave the house. Right after the sound of his car turning on and the engine revving was the only thing audible and after a few seconds the sound of tires screeching was followed by the sound of his mother breaking down in tears

Ash ran down towards his mother and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Delia was shocked that her son was next to her instead of being asleep like she assumed he was "Are you okay Mom?" Ash asked, feeling concerned for his mother.

Delia wiped her tears away "Yeah. I'm fine." She sniffled "What are you doing here? You should be asleep."

"I went to the bathroom and heard you guys arguing." Ash defended himself "What happened?" He asked.

"Nothing" Delia said as she continued to wipe her eyes dry.

Ash simply crossed his arms and frowned at his mother "That didn't sound like nothing."

Delia sighed in defeat. She knew how stubborn her son got. And whenever his mind was made up. There was no changing that.


	2. Chapter 2

A week passed by after Ash's birthday. He brought Kilo to the park that he lived in front of for a walk. He would kick his new soccer ball ahead a few feet and let Kilo bring it back.

Ash would come to the park daily to play. He usually looked for other kids to play with but no one ever wanted to play with him, so he played alone. Occasionally he would play with a boy named Ritchie and his two friends Drew and Paul. But they weren't there as often as he was.

The reason no one ever wanted to play with Ash was because of the fights he got into. Unlike his parents form of fighting, his got more violent. That's were other people get the impression that the separation of his parents still affected him. Which was true to some extent.

It was more because of his rival Gary. Ash and Gary grew up together. They knew each other since they were six years old. Ash's mom and Gary's Mom went to the same school together since they were kids. Gary and Ash would play together everyday and were good friends.

But that soon changed when one day, Jay came on a surprise visit to see Delia and Ash on the same day that Gary and his mom were suppose to visit to celebrate his birthday. Gary and his mom had to take a rain check so they could leave Delia and Ash some alone time with Jay.

That of course didn't sit well with Gary because he really was looking forward to celebrating his eighth birthday at Ash's place. His mother explained to him the situation between Ash's family but Gary didn't feel pity for him and wanted to pay him back for letting him down.

Since then all the kids from the neighborhood knew of Ash's domestic problems and because of that, Gary just wouldn't stop making fun of his 'daddy issues'.

And if that wasn't already a pain in the neck. Gary was really popular in the neighborhood. So everyone that liked Gary sided with him and made fun of Ash.

Of course, Ash didn't put up with it so any person who made fun of him would always end up in a fight. Naturally, not all his fight were about his family matters. More times than not, it would usually start with a simple disagreement that would turn into a fight, usually due to Ash's instincts for what he called 'self defense'.

But for that past few days, Ash hasn't felt like doing much of anything but luckily he had Kilo to keep him doing something rather than staying home.

Ash was watching the kids play basketball at the courts while he sat at a picnic table bench playing fetch with Kilo.

Ash was getting bored of doing nothing and he wanted to do something else but he regretted that thought when Kilo ran away with the soccer ball despite the fact that the ball was two times bigger than it was.

'Great' Ash complained mentally as he chased after Kilo. The little puppy was fast even though it wasn't even fully grown and it didn't help knowing that he was pushing the ball with his head so he wasn't even watching where he was going.

When Ash finally caught up to Kilo, he sighed at the sight. What he feared was exactly what had happened. Kilo was running at full speed with his view being blocked by the ball and he crashed against someone knocking them over.

"Oww. What's the big idea?!" A girl that was sitting on the floor groaned in pain from the impact

"Oh, I'm sorry. My dog was running without watching where he was going." Ash explained as he looked at the person who Kilo crashed into.

It was a young girl who looked his age, maybe a little older. She had ocean green eyes and short, bright orange hair tied in a side ponytail. She had pale skin and was really skinny. "Huh?" The girl asked as she raised her head to the source of the voice.

"Are you okay? Here, let me help you up." Ash offered. The girl looked at the boy. He had a puppy in his left hand and was extending his right hand to help her up. He looked her age, maybe a little younger. She noticed that he had chocolate brown eyes and messy raven black hair. She could tell he spent a lot of time outside by his tanned skin. She didn't think he worked out but she noticed he was fit.

The girl scoffed and smacked his hand away and got up by herself. "I don't need your help." She said harshly. She was dusting herself off when she spotted her iPod on the floor. She picked it up and the first thing she saw was her cracked screen. "Great, look what your dog did." She said showing him her iPod. "Why don't you put a leash on that thing anyway. Now you owe me for the screen!" She added.

Ash was taken aback by her tone "I don't want to put a leash on my dog. He's still a puppy." He said.

"It's still a puppy?" The girl asked in confusion.

"Yeah." Ash confirmed, holding his dog in front of him "His name is Kilo and my name is Ash." He introduced himself and his pet.

"You still owe me for a new screen." The girl told him flatly.

Ash cringed at the reminder. "Okay, fine." He sighed. "Can you at least tell me your name?"

"My name is Misty." The girl said as she walked up to pet the puppy "Hello little one." She said with a smile as Kilo barked in approval.

"Hey Misty, about your iPod. I'm sorry Kilo ran into you. You see, we were just playing soccer but Kilo decided to play somewhere else and ended up crashing into you." Ash explained.

"I barely got this too. My dad is going to be furious when he finds out." Misty sighed as she looked around for any other damage done.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I won't be able to pay you back." Ash stated.

"What?! What do you mean you 'won't be able to pay me back'?!" Misty asked.

"It was just an accident." Ash said sincerely. "I don't have the money to pay you back."

"Well, it may have been an accident and you may have not done it, but your dog did. And since it's your dog, I'm holding you responsible for paying for any damages." Misty said.

Ash ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I guess your right."

Misty was watching Ash carefully and she suddenly frowned and said. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until you pay me back for my screen."

Misty and Ash sat down at a conveniently close by bench and watched Kilo play in the grass "You know, it's the first time I seen you here. Are you new in town?" Ash asked.

Misty nodded "Yeah. I just moved into the neighborhood a few days ago." She said "I moved into that house over there" she pointed to a brown colored house that was to the south of them.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Ash said as he picked up Kilo who fell asleep

"I should head home now. I was supposed to be home an hour ago" Misty said as she got up and waved goodbye to Ash

Ash decided to go home too. Just to give Kilo some rest.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Ash went to the park as usual but this time he went on his own. He had left Kilo at home because he didn't want to leave home this time.

Ash was a little disappointed but as soon as he made it to the park. He spotted Paul hanging out at the tennis courts. He made his way over to Paul and noticed that he was alone. "Hey Paul. What's up?" He asked.

Paul turned to greet Ash with a nod. "Not much. Just waiting for Ritchie to return with the ball." He said. He held up his tennis racket to show him what he was talking about.

"Where's Drew?" Ash asked as he looked around the court for him.

"Looking for someone?" Drew said behind Ash, causing him to turn around. "Hey man, how's it been?" He asked.

"I've been good. What about you?" Ash greeted.

"Solid." Drew shrugged.

"Guys, guess what happened. I was trying to get the ball from underneath a bush when a squirrel stepped on my hand" Ritchie came into the court laughing hysterically.

"Hey Ritchie!" Ash called out to him.

"Ash, my man. You joining us? A two on one isn't exactly fair, you know?" Ritchie picked up his extra racket to give to Ash.

"Who's alone?" Ash asked.

Drew stood next to Ritchie and they both pointed at Paul. Paul simply rolled his eyes "And I was winning by the way."

Ash chuckled lightly before he started to play.

An hour later passed by and their game was interrupted by a sudden voice "There you are!"

Drew and Paul looked at each other in confusion and turned over to look at Ritchie who shrugged. "Don't look at me." He said.

The three boys turned to look at Ash who was just smiling nervously before the voice called out again "I knew I'd find you here."

The four boys looked at the girl who was taking in heavy breaths, presumably from running too fast. "Misty?" Ash asked "What are you doing here?" He was surprised. He honestly wasn't expecting to see her again after their encounter yesterday.

"I came to see if you're ready to pay me back" Misty said as she crossed her arms.

"Uhh. No, I'm.. Umm, I don't.. I'm not ready yet." Ash stalled.

"And when will you?" Misty frowned.

"I don't know." Ash replied.

"Okay then, I'll just wait until you're ready." Misty sat down on the bench that was leaning on the fence surrounding the tennis court.

"What's that all about?" Ritchie asked.

"Long story. Let's just keep on playing" Ash responded.

Misty was watching the boys play tennis. She was bored out of her mind but she wasn't going the let Ash get away without paying back what he damaged.

And it went on for a while. A week passed by and it was always the same thing. It was him coming to the park and Misty following him around whenever he tried going some where different. The only time Misty would stop following him was when he would go back home. Or rather, she would have to go home first.

He had asked her why she was following him and every time she would say he still owed her. The first few days, Ash got really annoyed but most of the time, he was grateful she did follow him around.

Since he didn't get along with that many people, he didn't have anyone to really hang out with. That's where Misty came in. She may have been following him around just to get him to pay her back but he actually enjoyed her company, not that he would ever tell her that. So he pretended to be annoyed.

Misty, on the other hand was mainly following Ash to get him to pay her back. But she also followed him because she didn't know anyone else in the neighborhood. She had tried to make friends on her own but that didn't go very well. She felt the most comfortable around Ash, not that she would ever tell him that. So she just pretended to be mad at him.

Whenever Drew, Paul, and Ritchie weren't there, which was most of the time, Ash would spend time hanging out with Misty. They would spend most of the time just talking and playing with Kilo whenever Ash brought him.

Those times that the three boys did come over, Ash would ask them to include Misty in whatever activity they were participating in, which they happily complied.

"So Ash, are you going to tell us how you met Misty?" Ritchie asked.

"Why?" Ash asked. They were sitting at a picnic bench while they all had a little break from playing.

"Cause, you never told us. There has to be a reason why you're always together" Drew said with a smirk and a flip of his green hair.

Ash sighed in defeat "Fine" something about that smirk made him uneasy

Misty was there and listened to Ash tell his friends. She didn't even realize that he left out the part were he owes her a repair on her iPod.


	4. Chapter 4

Three more weeks passed by and Ash's friends started accepting Misty as one of their friends. She didn't exactly talk to them all that much but they still hung out whenever they came.

Ash had explained to Misty that Ritchie, Paul, and Drew didn't live near the park so they couldn't come all the time due to how long it takes them to get there and back. He also told her they come twice a week depending on what was going on back at their house.

As time went forward Ash and Misty easily became best friends. They both forgot about Misty's iPod and they got to know more about each other.

Misty had explained Ash why she had moved into Viridian City. Her father worked for an organization but he was laid off the job because the organization he worked for were frauds. All the employers were laid off and not arreseted because they weren't actually part of the act. But because of her father's records of working their. It's been very difficult to find a stable job to support his family.

Misty's family consisted of her father, her three older sisters, and herself. Her mother had passed away due to respiratory problems. She died when Misty was only two years old.

She also told Ash about her childhood. She told him about how her three older sisters Daisy, Violet and Lily would make fun of her. Daisy, Violet, and Lily always though of themselves as fashion models and royalty. They were all about appearances and first impressions.

Misty talked about how her sisters were always told that they were very beautify and that made them feel like they were total princesses. They often made fun of Misty by calling her 'ugly' and 'scrawny' and a 'runt.'

Since Misty's arrival, her sisters were the first ones to make friends. Their appeals are what brought them attention and whenever Misty would try to make friends with the other girls in the park they would say "Oh look, it's Violet's scrawny little sister." She told Ash that's why she didn't have any other friends other than him.

Ash also told Misty things about him. He told her about his mom and dad and how they were divorced. About why he didn't get along with the other kids. About Gary.

Ash found it easy to talk to Misty. He was surprised at how natural it felt to talk about personal topics with her. He would tell her things that he had kept a secret and that nobody else knew about.

And the same thing went for Misty. She was telling Ash things that she would normally feel embarrassed and uncomfortable talking about.

A little more than a year had passed by. In between that time a lot of things happened. Ash, Misty, and Kilo were walking towards the soccer field to play a little with Kilo when they got stopped by none other than Gary himself.

Part of the reason why Gary was so popular in the block was because he hung out with the older kids. The older kids were considered the 'cool kids' and were highly respected and the fact that Gary was the youngest of the group made him popular. Gary hung out with a boy named Brock.

Brock was the oldest of the group and would be the leader. Everyone knew of Brock. He was highly liked and respected. He was smart, cool, and a bit of a ladies man. His right hand man was Tracey.

Tracey was the second oldest of the group. He was calm, nice, and very level headed. He usually broke up most of the fights that happened around the park. He was just as highly praised as Brock was.

It didn't help that Brock's group of friends was small. So small in fact that Gary was the only extra person hanging out with Brock and Tracey.

When Gary stopped Ash and Misty, he was with Brock and Tracey.

Ash didn't forget to tell Misty about these three. He too had high respect for both of the older boys but with Gary. That was a whole different story.

Gary went to do what he usually did whenever he spotted Ash. And that was to call him out just to make fun of him.

This time however was different than all the other times. Usually it was Tracey who stopped them from going fist to fist but this time the interruption came from Misty "Leave him alone kid!" She called out to Gary.

Ash had done a wonderful job avoiding Gary for a year. At least that's what he thought. Gary turned to look at Misty and back at Ash, a smirk plastered on his face. "Well, well, well, I see you found yourself a girlfriend Ashy-boy." He teased

Ash's eyes narrowed at the remark and his face automatically turned red.

Misty's face blushed too as both her and Ash shouted at the same time "We're just friends!"

Gary started laughing and it only arose Ash's anger. Gary was making more comments but Brock's sudden voice seemed to straighten him up. "Gary, That's enough!" He said loudly.

Gary only turned to Brock and flashed him a smile. "Come on, man. It's funny. Laugh a little."

"Leave Gary. We're done having to put up with your childish behavior. Leave right now and don't come back." Tracey said

"What are you talking about?!" Gary asked

"Your being kicked dude. You're no longer welcomed to hang with us" Brock said

"What!? Why not?" Gary asked in disbelieve

"You're always the one to start these fights. We don't feel like putting up with it anymore." Tracey said

"You're replacing me for a sorry loser like him?" Gary pointed at Ash

"We never said that" Brock replied

Gary only stared at Ash and snickered as he walked away from the park.


	5. Chapter 5

It was never the original intention but Ash did take Gary's place and Misty was allowed in because she was friends with Ash.

Word of this event got out quickly and the popularity that once belonged to Gary was his. Not as many people were excited but there was more attention given to him.

Misty got a whole lot more of attention. She was the first female to join the 'cool kids' and a lot of other girls were jealous.

That much was going on that they were finding it hard to spend some time to just hang out and relax without being interrupted by other kids who walked up to them.

Unlike Gary, Ash was nice to the people who wanted to talk to him. He didn't have as many fans as Gary once did but he didn't care. He figured that it had to do with his image of having 'daddy issues' that Gary had started.

A lot of kids grew fond of his old pal Kilo. He had grown in the time span since Ash was nine years old.

Even Ritchie, Drew, and Paul got a little recognition for being friends with Ash.

Even more time had passed by, two years to be exact. Ash and Misty would visit each other's homes every once in a while because they felt that they didn't get to spend much time alone to just hang out like they used to.

But when they were at the park, they would spend their time hanging out with Brock and Tracey. And as they grew older, more unusual things started happening.

It all started one afternoon when Ash was playing a game of basketball with his friends when a young man by the name of Georgio came up to them and asked to have a word with Misty.

"What is it?" Misty asked with curiosity.

"Can I.. Can I t-talk to you in private? Please?" Georgio stuttered nervously

Misty looked back at her friends who were watching her intently. Moving closer to them she said "Whatever you want to say you can say it here or else forget it."

Georgio swallowed nervously. The eyes of all the other boys looking at him made him feel uncomfortable "I... I-I would be t-totally honored and thrilled I-If you went out on a d-date with me..."

Silence. The whole place was quiet for what felt like forever. He came looking for a date with Misty and that had everyone at shock. Nothing like this had ever happened before and the first one to react was Ash.

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists into balls until his knuckles were white, Ash glared at the boy. Although he wasn't sure how he was suppose to react, he knew one thing for certain. This was not happening under his watch.

Luckily for Ash, he saved himself the embarrassment when Misty turned him down saying that there was someone else. There was a rush of relief flowing through Ash's body but Misty's last words left him more than a little angry.

The second time this happened, it was with Ash. He was feeding Kilo when a girl named Serena came up to him and decided to be a little to friendly and also started flirting with him. This of course didn't sit well with Misty. She was in fact the one who turned her down for Ash.

And there were many more situations like this. Five more to be precise. But each and every time. It ended the same way. They always turned down their admirer. And another thing that was always the same, was that Ash and Misty were willingly ready to interrupt before anything could ever happen.

It didn't take long for Misty to figure out why she did all those things. She realized that she was in love with her best friend Ash and she didn't want to see him with someone who wasn't her.

Ash on the other hand struggled to figure out why he did all those things. But when he finally did, he felt like hitting himself repeatedly for falling in love with his best friend Misty. He didn't want anything to do with it. Not after witnessing the wrath love had unleashed on his parents.

It's not that he hated being in love. His mother had told him that it's the most wonderful thing in the world, but he didn't believed it. What he worried about was that if he did fall in love, it would led to the same agony and his mother went through. And he doesn't want to go through that himself. So he thought the only solution is to ignore the feeling and just go back to the way things were.

Misty was worried about a different thing. Now that she established her feelings for Ash, what was she suppose to do now? She's never been in this situation before, let alone being in love.

She couldn't just go up to Ash and tell him. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way?' Misty thought. She wouldn't bare the pain of rejection if that were to happen. So she thought the best solution is to not say anything and just go back to the way things were.


	6. Chapter 6

Two more years went by. A few months ago it was Ash's fourteenth birthday. Everything was fine and dandy until Ash spotted Misty crying under a tree at the park.

He went over to her and had asked her what had happened but all he got in response were more tears. Ash just sat there with Misty trying to sooth her. Once she had calmed down a little, he tried again "Why are you crying?" He asked

"I'm moving" was all Misty could say before she started crying again.

There was no need for more words after that. Ash's heart shattered. His best friend was moving. After five years of friendship, this is is where it ends. He couldn't believe it. He never pictured this day ever happening.

Misty was a total emotional mess that she couldn't straighten herself up even if she wanted to "When?" Came Ash's voice.

"Today." She replied. Tracey and Brock came up from behind Ash. They placed a hand on his shoulders reassuringly.

Ash's eyes widen. "Everything's going to be fine" He said.

"No. It's not!" Misty sobbed.

"Come on, Misty!" Her father called. Her sisters standing by his side with equally saddened faces. They all knew about the special bond Ash and Misty had developed over the years. Knowing that this was the last time they were probably going to see each other was heart breaking.

"Where are you headed?" Ash asked.

"I'm not sure." Misty wiped a tear from her eye.

"Wait, before you go. I have something for you. Wait here." Ash said as he ran into his house. He started digging through his drawers until he found what he was looking for. He raced back outside and gave her a wrapped box.

"What is it?" She studied the object.

"The 'I owe you,' My mom was not very thrilled when I told her what happened." Ash said

Misty opened the present. It was the last thing she expected. It was a brand new iPod.

Kilo came out the house and stood by Ash. "Ash," Misty started "Y-you got me a new one?" She asked in disbelieve.

"Yeah. I hope you'll use it." Ash said. "It sucks you have to leave but.. We'll stay in touch"

Misty's face was expressing confusion. But she cleared it with a sigh of relief as she read an email address written on paper that was taped on the inside of the iPod's box. "Thank you Ash, for being a good friend to me." She turned to Tracey and Brock who were standing behind Ash. "Thank you too, both of you"

"No problem. We'll miss you" Brock said

"Yeah, keep in touch with Ash and we'll be sure to make Ash give us your contact information so that way we can stay in touch." Tracey said

"Would you, Ash?" Misty looked at him with pleading eyes.

Ash nodded. "Of course. I'll give them your email as soon as we get in contact." He watched as Misty smiled gratefully before she walked back to her father's car. "See you later, Mist" he waved

Misty waved back and from inside the car, he could see the tears falling from her eyes.

It was Ash's turn to cry. He tried to hold it in but he couldn't. His best friend and the love of his life was leaving his side.

Misty caught a glimpse of Ash crying from a distance where the car was stationed a moment ago. She began to cry even harder in regret of never telling him how she really felt about him. Her sisters were trying to console her so she wouldn't be sad.

Ash was thinking the same thing. He regretted not telling Misty how he really felt. He knew despite having agreed to stay in touch and giving her his contact information, they wouldn't hear or see each other for a long time.

It didn't help that his parents weren't exactly the best role models when it came to love but he couldn't help but seeing things the way he did, it wasn't helpful that it was the only example of it he ever had and that was what stopped him from confessing.

Everyone went home and things were not the same ever since that evening. Ash sat on his bed and was going through a photo album he had while absentmindedly stroking Kilo's fur. He was looking at pictures of his parents and him when he was about three years old.

He decided to skip a decent amount of pages until he got to some more recent ones. He looked at his favorite picture of all. It was of all his friends together. Starting from left to right was Ritchie. He had his hand behind Paul and made bunny ears behind his head. Paul's expression was timed perfectly. He was exasperatedly rolling his eyes while maintaining an amused smile.

Next to Paul was Drew. Drew's pose was timed perfectly as well. His usual smirk was replaced with a genuine smile and the camera caught him mid hair flip. His arm was around a girl who he meet the year before the picture was taken. From the recognition Drew received after Ash's last encounter with Gary, he met the girl that later became his girlfriend.

Ash recalled her name to be May from what he heard from Drew. Ash never actually talked to the girl as much but she was now part of the circle of Ash's friends. In the picture, May held a rose in her hands while she smiled nervously but looked happy nonetheless.

Next to May was Misty. Misty was winking at the camera and stuck her tung out playfully. Next to her was Ash himself. He was pointing thumbs up at the camera and had his arm around Misty's waist. Misty also had her arm around Ash's waist and held up the peace sign.

Next to Ash was Tracey. Tracey had his red head band in his hands and held it like a slingshot aiming it at the camera. Brock was all the way to the right. Nothing special about his pose except for him using Tracey's shoulder as an arm rest.

Ash went back to him and Misty. Kilo sat in front of them and was sitting patiently until the picture was taken. He look more at Misty than at himself. He was looking at her hair, her eyes, her body.

He shook his head to clear out his thoughts. He looked at Misty one more time before closing the photo album. He set it aside and leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He let his thoughts wonder of again letting out a sigh. Maybe one day he'll get to speak to Misty again and when that time comes he'll be ready to tell her how he really feels.


End file.
